Honoring excellence in arts and letters, the Pulitzer Prizes are among the most prestigious awards in the United States. This year's highlights included an unusual dual prize for the fiction category, awarded to Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead and Hernan Diaz's Trust, as well as a remarkable biography of George Floyd, which was honored three years after its subject's death. (Also of note: wins for Rhiannon Giddens, creator of the Word + Music title To Balance on Bridges, and Sanaz Toossi, playwright of the Audible Original Wish You Were Here.) This list reflects the works' incredible breadth of scholarship and creativity in audio productions that are spectacular in their own right.
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Winner: Fiction
“This book is a masterpiece. It’s right up there with The Poisonwood Bible. Some people say it’s too sad. What they mean is it’s too realistic. I have family in these mountains. I know this landscape, the physical and emotional. Kingsolver hits both perfectly, bringing you the story in a raw but tender way. And this narration is a solid gold 10/10. Kudos to both author and narrator. I laughed. I cried. I got angry. It was everything promised and a lot more.” —Billy, Audible listener
Winner: Fiction
“Trust was one of my most anticipated books of this year as I loved Diaz's In The Distance. I'm glad I avoided all reviews and discussion of this book prior to reading it as its odd (to me) structure was a surprise and I had no knowledge of the plot or characters going in. I pounced on the Audible version as I had a road trip scheduled and was looking forward to getting lost in a great novel as the miles ticked by. It WAS great! Audible used four different narrators, one for each section of the book, matching the respective points of view of the particular section. The voice and tone of the narrators were great matches for the characters they represented ... You don't need to be interested in Wall Street to enjoy this novel, although knowledge of stocks, bonds, futures, etc. makes some of jargon understandable. It's really a novel about perceptions. Just like in In The Distance, the writing is excellent and just flows, and the storytelling is fantastic. Five stars.” —Jeff, Audible listener
Winner: History
“This book includes some remarkable characteristics. Meticulous historical detail weaves a compelling narrative that carefully marks a straight line from dispossession of native people a generation before the Civil War, immediately followed by slavery as an integral part of the cotton economy, to the century of Reconstruction, Jim Crow and determined resistance to civil rights and racial equity that persists to the present. In a remarkably dispassionate unpacking of unapologetic white supremacy, there is virtually no hyperbole of grievance and outrage for its own sake. That is left to the reader.” —Dwight, Audible listener
Winner: Biography
“All I can say is … wow! Even though I have hundreds of audiobooks in my library, this is my first ever written review. This book is awesome!! I know some people tend to shy away from long audiobooks, but this book went by so fast! I listen to primarily nonfiction and this book reads like a novel. The narration was PERFECT and the content not dry or boring at all. I had my eye on this book when I spotted it in the soon to be released section on Audible and purchased it the next day after it was released, so there were no reviews written for it, but I decided to go for it anyway and I’m so glad I did! If you enjoy history, a great narrator, and a compelling story, DO NOT HESITATE on purchasing this book!” —Jessica, Audible listener
Winner: Memoir
“I’m so glad I listened to this audiobook. Hua Hsu narrates his life like he is your best friend drinking coffee with you in a small cafe. He brings a new take to the Asian-American experience. What I like the most is the little pieces of history he sparkles through the book seemingly out of nowhere but that make perfect sense to his story. I also enjoyed his descriptions of Berkeley, which is almost like another character in his book. I can’t stop thinking about his friend Ken, and I can tell the author can’t either. I’m going to read this book again because I can tell it is the kind of book that keeps on giving you different things every time you read it.” —Rosalinda, Audible listener
Winner: General Nonfiction
“His Name Is George Floyd gives the background history of the man the world watched be murdered during the global pandemic of 2020. His cries for help enlisted the attention of the masses in ways other murders of unarmed Black Americans had not previously. The book goes into depth on how these events remind us all of the trauma minorities have suffered for far too long. Additionally, it offers a real-world perspective of how civil rights and humanity get lost within institutions that seemingly aim to dismiss justice.” —Tonjua, Audible listener
